Activists fear looming health crisis in Argentina – call on IMF to act

Today global health activists took to the streets in Washington DC to highlight the looming health crisis facing the people of Argentina. Strict targets set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mean the Argentinean government is taking drastic measures to significantly cut the national AIDS program and even dissolve the Ministry of Health. These austerity measures threaten the lives and health of millions of people in Argentina.

ADD YOUR SUPPORT: Sign your organization on to the letters being sent to the IMF and President Macri. To request a copy of the letter and sign on please contact Lorena Di Giano: [email protected]

“These measures are outrageous,” said Lorena Di Giano, Executive Director of Fundación GEP. “This reckless approach being taken by the government not only threatens lives and will be irreversible for many people, but it is also counter-intuitive and will cost them much more in the future.”

In Argentina 60,000 people living with HIV are currently receiving life-saving HIV treatment through the government AIDS program – however proposed budget cuts of 50% mean that almost a third of those people will no longer be treated. 15,000 people who currently rely on publicly funded HIV will be forced to go without treatment. HIV is a chronic disease that requires daily treatment for life. Adherence is critical. Treatment interruptions put people at risk of health complications, becoming resistant to antiretroviral treatment regimens, or even death.

Cutting the budget for HIV treatment will increase the cost of health in three ways. Firstly, people living with HIV who develop resistance will be forced to switch to newer, more expensive second or third line treatment regimens if and when they are able to resume treatment. Secondly, evidence shows that HIV treatment is one of the single most effective ways to prevent HIV transmission. By reducing access, many more HIV infections will occur that could have been avoided, meaning many more people will need HIV treatment in the future. Thirdly, treatment interruptions worsen the long-term health outcomes of people living with HIV who are put at risk of various cancers and further health issues later in life requiring other healthcare and medicines. Of great concern is also the fate of the viral hepatitis treatment program that started providing treatment for people living with hepatitis C in 2015; an estimated 300,000 people in Argentina have hepatitis C.

Of equal concern is the move to dissolve the Ministry of Health that signals a major affront to people’s health and human rights. Without a centralised and dedicated health department, activists fear further health budget cuts and major failures in the public health system. This will reverse the significant progress Argentina has made in working towards universal health coverage, putting countless more lives at risk.

These austerity measures were introduced following an agreement signed between Argentinean government and the IMF. The targets of this agreement need to be urgently reworked in order to reverse these threats.

“Dismantling the Ministry of Health is a criminal act and a major breach of human rights. It is detrimental to our economy and risks an unacceptable loss of life. We urge the IMF to urgently intervene,” Di Giano continued.

“It is morally reprehensible for the IMF to sit back and watch while Argentina’s health system unravels given that these cuts are directly related to achieving the targets set by the IMF. Public health and people’s lives must be protected as the country attempts to curb its currency crisis,” said Lotti Rutter from Health GAP.

Update – 4 October 2018.

Fundación GEP took part in the protests in Buenos Aires directed at President Macri. Follow Fundación GEP on Twitter for all the latest.

For more information contact:

Lorena Di Giano (Fundación GEP): +54 9 223 423 3278 | [email protected]
Brittany Herrick (Health GAP): +1 760 964 8704 | [email protected]

Protest at the International Monetary Fund against austerity measures in Argentina from Pauline Londeix on Vimeo.

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